Union Through Separation
by Dr. Vorlon
Summary: My first Yu-Gi-Oh! fic. What if Yami was given his own body? What will this mean for him and a certain brown haired girl? Yami x Tea COMPLETED! R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Yes it's me, Dr. Vorlon! After a long hiatus I'm finally back and writing fanfics. This time, I've decided to try my hand at a Yu-Gi-Oh! fic. Hope you enjoy it!

Union through Separation

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

It was late one evening in the city of Domino. Young Yugi Mutou, also known as the "King of Games", had invited all of his friends to his house. However, he hadn't told any of them why.

"Do any of you guys know why Yugi called us here?" asked Tea Gardner, as she and the others waited in the living room.

"Sorry, I'm as clueless as you are," replied Tristen Taylor.

"So what else is new?" said Joey Wheeler. "Yer _always _clueless!"

"I think you're confusing me with yourself!"

"You have to admit," said Tea, "Yugi's been acting rather strange lately."

"What do you mean?" asked Joey's sister, Serenity.

"Well first of all, we don't hear a word from him in almost three days. And now he's summoning us all here without any explanation. It's really weird."

"Well I hope he has good reason for all of this," said Mai Valentine. "I _do _have other places I could be right now."

"Oh don't worry, I think you'll find this worth your time!"

Everybody turned to see little Yugi standing in front of the door.

"Hey, Yug! So what's all this about anyway?" asked Joey.

The spiky haired boy smiled. "It's a surprise. But I want to wait until all of you are here before I show it. Where's Duke anyway?"

Just then, as if on cue, Duke Devlin entered the room. "Have no fear ladies, the Dice Man cometh!"

"Oh, ha, ha. Very clever," said Tristen. "I'll bet you stayed up all night coming up with that one."

"If I did, then it only took me half the time it would've taken you."

"Hey!"

"Okay guys, settle down," said Yugi. "Now that everyone's here, I guess you'd like to know why I called you."

"Yeah Yug," said Joey. "The suspense is killing me!"

"Well then, I won't keep you waiting any longer. I called you all here because there's someone I'd like you to meet. Actually, you've already met him, but not like this."

Yugi stepped to the side and opened the door. Within a mere nanosecond, everyone gasped in surprise. Standing there was a young man who bore an uncanny resemblance to Yugi, except that he was taller and more serious looking.

"Whoa! Do I need glasses," asked Tristen, "or am I seeing double? There are two Yugis!"

"That's not another Yugi," corrected Tea. "That's Yami!"

TO BE CONTINUED

So what did you think? I know it's rather short and a bit on the lame side, but this is my first Yu-Gi-Oh! fic and I've been out of the loop for quite some time. I'll try to make other chapters longer and better, assuming of course that you _want _me to continue. If not, then I'll just bugger off and you'll never have to hear from me again.


	2. Chapter 2

****

Union through Separation

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

Everyone there was at a loss for words. In the past, Yami, the spirit of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh, had lived inside the Millennium Puzzle, occasionally sharing Yugi's body and becoming Yami Yugi whenever the need arises. But now, to see him there, standing beside Yugi with a body of his own, was incredible to say the least.

Joey was the first to speak up. "Yami? I don't believe it, it's actually you! Yugi's other half!"

"So this is the famous Yami I've heard so much about, huh?" asked Mai. "He's kinda cute, even if he does have Yugi's bizarre hairstyle." She winked.

Yami blushed a bit. "Uh… thank you, I think."

"Wait a minute," said Duke. "You're telling me that there really _is _a Yami? All this time I thought you were just pulling my leg with that spirit of the puzzle stuff."

"Nope, he's very real," said Yugi. "After all, he's standing right here."

"But how is it possible for him to be standing there anyway?" asked Tristen. "I thought Yami lived inside the puzzle?"

"He did," confirmed Yugi, "but not anymore. I guess we should explain. It all started about three days ago when we received a call from Ishizu…"

__

FLASHBACK

One night, Yugi showed up at the Domino Museum of History. There, waiting for him in the ancient Egypt exhibit was Ishizu Ishtar.

"Welcome Yugi," said Ishizu. "I'm glad you could make it."

"Not a problem. So what can I do for you?"

"Actually, this is about what I can do for you. Or more accurately, for the Pharaoh."

"Yu-Gi-Oh!" In an instant, the Millennium Puzzle activated and Yugi became Yami Yugi. "Well, I'm here. Why do you request my presence?"

"My pharaoh!" Ishizu knelt for a few seconds and then stood back up. "This way, please."

She lead Yami Yugi into a restricted part of the museum—restricted to everyone, of course, except her. In the middle of this room was something that appeared to be a sarcophagus.

"This was recently excavated from a forgotten tomb," Ishizu said. "Once you open it, I think you'll understand why I asked you here."

Intrigued, Yami Yugi removed the lid of the sarcophagus and within seconds he did understand. Inside was the body of King Yami himself, fully dressed in pharaoh attire. Yami Yugi's jawed dropped so low, he thought it would hit the ground.

"It's me! But… but how? I died millennia ago, yet this body is perfectly preserved." He reached out and touched it. "It's still warm!"

"A spell was cast after you died to prevent your body from decaying," Ishizu explained. "You knew that one day you would return and you wanted to make sure that when you did, your original body would be waiting for you. I'm sorry it took us so long to find it, Pharaoh, but now that we have, we can restore your soul to it… if that's what you desire."

__

What do you think Yugi? Yami asked his other self. _Should I go through with it?_

Well it is _your body, _said Yugi. _I definitely think you should go for it!_

END FLASHBACK

"And so by using the powers of our Millennium Items," Yugi said, "we were able to put Yami's soul back into his own body. We've spent the last few days helping him settle in to his new existence."

"Wow, that's quite a story," said Serenity. "So Yami, now that you have your own body, what are you going to do with your life?"

"Well for the moment, I'm going to be earning my keep by working in the game shop. Beyond that… I don't really have any plans. I suppose though that I now have a whole lot of possibilities open to me that weren't available before."

Yami glanced at Tea, who had been surprisingly quiet. He noticed that she was trying to avoid eye contact… and she was trying to hide the fact that she was blushing. He wondered if she could possibly be thinking the same thing that he was.

It was just one of the many possibilities Yami now had to consider.

****

TO BE CONTINUED

So what did you think? Please read and review!


	3. Chapter 3

Union through Separation

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

Nearly two weeks had passed since Yami had regained his own body. It had not been an easy transition for either of them. First, with Yami out of him, Yugi felt somewhat empty for a time. But that quickly passed. Second, there had been some debate over which one of them would get to hold onto the Millennium Puzzle. In the end, Yami convinced Yugi to keep it, as repayment for all those years of carrying his soul. Besides, the pharaoh had enough powers of his own that he could manage without the puzzle.

One day after school, Yugi went up into his room, which he was currently sharing with Yami (separate beds of course! Don't even think that you sick little weirdoes you!) There was no sign of Yami anywhere, however, lying on his bed was a sketchpad. Yami apparently had some artistic talent. He had spent a good deal of his free time doing sketches, but of what Yugi had no idea. The diminutive teenager could not restrain his curiosity, so he decided to sneak a peek at what the pharaoh had been drawing all this time. He was quite surprised with what he found.

As it turned out, many of the sketches were of Tea—a whole freaking lot to be precise. Many were simply of her face, although there was this one sketch that depicted her fully garbed in what appeared to be the dress of an Egyptian queen. _Why is he doing so many drawings of Tea? _Yugi wondered.

"What are you doing Yugi?"

Yugi turned around to find Yami standing behind him. "Yami! I, uh, well I-I just saw your pad and I just… I'm sorry Yami. I know I should've asked first."

Yami took back the pad and sighed. "It's my fault. I don't know why I just leave this thing lying around."

"So… I don't mean to pry or anything, but I couldn't help but notice you've been drawing Tea an awful lot."

Yami flustered. "Yes… I suppose I have."

"I have to admit, they're really well done. You sure do have talent."

"When it comes to drawing Tea I do. I could probably sketch her in my sleep. I find her… easy to draw from memory."

Yugi was starting to figure things out. He was a very sharp boy after all. "So, uh, exactly how long have you found her 'easy to draw from memory'?"

"In all honesty… since the day I first met her."

"No kidding?"

Yami nodded. "Never before had I encountered anyone quite so beautiful. And as time went on, I realised that her beauty was more than just skin deep."

"Tea sure is something special."

"Yes Yugi, she certainly is at that."

"Have you ever thought of actually telling her that yourself?"

"Many times. But it wouldn't have been appropriate for me to pursue a relationship."

"Why not?"

"Well for one thing, you and I used to share the same body. For me to go and… _indulge _myself while living in another person's form would have been inconsiderate to say the least."

Yugi thought for a moment what Yami meant by 'indulge', and suddenly several disturbing images sprung to mind. "Oh… yeah, I see your point. But you have your own body now, so what's stopping you? You should go ask Tea out on a date!"

"I don't know Yugi. I've never been entirely comfortable with the idea of courting members of the opposite sex. Besides, I'm not even certain she'd reciprocate my feelings."

"Oh, I have a feeling she might. I happen to know for a fact that Tea has a major crush on you."

"Really?"

"Absolutely! Well, she's never actually told me that, but I notice these kinds of things from time to time. So you should definitely go for it Yami!"

"I still don't know. I need some time to think about this. And I don't want you breathing a word of this to Tea, understand?"

Yugi raised his hand in an oath taking gesture. "I swear by my honour as the champion of Duellist Kingdom and Battle City never to tell Tea about your feelings for her, lest a giant meteorite crash into my head."

Satisfied, Yami left.

------

Later that night, Yugi had a dream. In it, he could see the Dark Magician and the Dark Magician Girl. They both looked as though they wanted to say something to the other, but neither of them could seem to find the words. It was as though they were both shy. Finally, Yugi walked up to them. He took the Dark Magician's hand and put it in the hand of the Dark Magician Girl. With that, the two magicians looked at each other, smiled, and vanished into thin air.

Yugi then awoke from his dream… and he knew what it was he needed to do.

TO BE CONTINUED

Please R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

Union through Separation

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

Tea Gardner lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling—just as she had every night for the past two weeks. As much as she wanted to get some sleep, she just couldn't seem to stop thinking about Yami. Ever since the Pharaoh had his own body back, he'd been foremost on Tea's mind, even more so than usual. Tea thought about Yami a lot. Since the day she first heard his regal and confident voice, she'd had a major crush on him, a crush that had only grown stronger over time. Of course, since he shared a body with Yugi, her childhood friend, she'd had some trouble separating her feelings for the two of them.

But now, now that Yami was separate from Yugi, she knew exactly what she felt for them. She liked Yugi well enough, but Yami, well Yami was not any man she'd ever known before. Brave and dedicated, commanding yet compassionate; Yami had all kind of traits that Tea admired. Then of course he was also handsome in a mysterious sort of way—the proverbial "tall, dark stranger" so to speak. Tea wanted so much to tell him her feelings, but was rather hesitant to say the least. Yami had never really shown any signs of interest in her and she was afraid that he wouldn't return her feelings. Plus, there was also some intimidation issues; Yami was, after all, a pharaoh of Egypt, and that's bound to make a few people feel humble.

I wish I could just muster up enough courage to talk to him, Tea thought to herself. _I mean, even if he didn't feel the same way about me, at least I'd know. Then I could stop lying awake at night worrying about it and get on with my life… right? Oh, I don't know._

Eventually, Tea managed to drift off to sleep. That night she had a dream. In her dream, she was standing in what appeared to be an Egyptian style throne room. It was dimly lit, however she could definitely make out the spiky haired visage of Yami. He was all dressed up as a pharaoh and had a big smile on his face. Looking down, Tea found that she was wearing a matching princess dress… or was it a queen's dress? She couldn't tell.

Yami reached towards Tea, removing a veil that was covering her face. "I've waited a very long time for this moment," Yami said softly. "Now, we will be together… always."

Tea felt her cheeks grow warm as Yami started to lean his face closer to hers. She closed her eyes and her lips instinctually puckered in anticipation for what was obviously about to happen…

Suddenly, the telephone rang. And Tea's dream came to an abrupt end.

Dammit! Why do I get the feeling it was just getting to the good part?

She reached over and grabbed the receiver. "Yello? Gardner residence."

"Hello? Tea?"

"Yugi?" Tea instantly recognised the voice.

"Yeah, it's me. Sorry to call you so late, but I needed to ask you something."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

"Uh… no, not really. Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if you could show up in front of the video arcade at noon tomorrow."

Tea was confused. "The video arcade? Why?"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you. If I did, I'd risk breaking a promise I made to someone. Anyway, can you do that?"

"I guess so…"

"Great! Oh and one more thing: you might want to wear something nice." And with that, Yugi hung up.

Tea was intrigued. It wasn't like Yugi to be so cryptic. He was definitely up to something, but what? What could he be planning?

I guess I'll find out tomorrow at noon. She sighed. _Will I _ever_ get a full night's sleep? Maybe if I'm lucky, I can pick up my dream where it left off._

TO BE CONTINUED

Well I know it was short, but do I have your attention? R&R!


	5. Chapter 5

Union through Separation

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

Yugi woke up bright and early the next morning. He looked over at the bed across from him, where Yami was still sleeping.

Yugi smiled. _Good, Yami's not awake yet, _the spiky-haired boy thought to himself. _Time for me now to put Phase Two of my plan into effect. _Pulling out a pencil and pad, he started to jot down a message. _I just hope this works. I've never played matchmaker before!_

------------

When Yami woke up an hour later, he could find no trace of his roommate anywhere. However, he did discover a note on his nightstand that hadn't been there before. The Pharaoh picked up the note and read it:

**_

> Hey Yami,
> 
> I have a big favour to ask of you. I need you to meet me in front of the video arcade at noon today. I'm sorry I can't explain it to you now, but when you get there, I think you'll understand. Don't be late!
> 
> Yugi

_**

Yami was intrigued. _What is Yugi up to? He knows I don't like it when he acts all secretive. Whatever it is, I just hope he remembered his promise to me._

------------

As Tea stood there in front of the video arcade, she continued to wonder what this was all about. Although Yugi had asked her to show up in front of the arcade, he hadn't told her why. She also found it curious that he wanted her to wear something on the nice side. Nonetheless, she had complied with that request more or less: a black boat neck T-shirt with a black jacket, a black mini-skirt, black knee-high boots (A.N. Do I sense a pattern here? Hmm… It's probably just my imagination).

If I didn't know any better, I would think that Yugi was trying to set me up on a date with someone. Tea shook her head to that thought. _Nah! That's ridiculous! I mean, this is _Yugi _we're talking about._

Tea took another look at her watch. It was now one minute after noon. She wondered just how long she was supposed to wait there—just another of Yugi's omissions. Soon, she noticed someone was approaching her—someone with spiky hair. _Yugi? _But no, it was not Yugi. He resembled Yugi, but he was much taller which meant only one thing.

"Yami?"

Yami noticed Tea; he seemed as surprised as she was. "Tea?"

"What are you doing here?" they both asked in unison.

"I was asked by Yugi to meet him here," Yami answered first.

"Really? Well, Yugi also asked me to come here," affirmed Tea.

Yami's eyes suddenly widened with realisation and a bit of anger. "Yugi… How much did Yugi tell you?"

"Not a whole lot. He just asked me to come here. Why? Do you know what this is all about?"

The Pharaoh placed his hand on his forehead and sighed. "_When I get home, I swear I'm going to mind-crush that boy,_" he muttered to himself.

"Come again?" Tea asked.

"Nothing. I'm afraid Tea that you and I are the victims of a… practical joke."

"Practical joke?" Realisation then dawned on Tea as well. _So I guess Yugi _would _do something like that after all. _She smiled. _He's not as innocent as he appears._

"I'm truly sorry about all this," Yami said. "Yugi seems to have a rather twisted sense of humour."

"Oh, that's okay. I don't mind. Say… as long as we're here, and as long as it's noon, do you want to, I don't know… get something to eat?"

"Well, I don't know. I wouldn't want to be an inconvenience…"

"Oh, it's no inconvenience. Not really. So… what do you say?"

Yami thought about it for a moment. "Well… why not?"

"Good, because I know just the place."

TO BE CONTINUED

Well how was that? Not as long as I had hoped, but I am trying. If you have any suggestions, I'd be glad to entertain them. R&R!


	6. Chapter 6

****

Union through Separation

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

The place that Tea ended up taking Yami was the fast food restaurant where Tea had once worked. Since it was working at that job that ultimately led to her first encounter with Yami, it seemed appropriate. (A.N. Is that how it went in the original anime? I can't remember.) She ordered for the both of them two hamburgers, two fries, and two chocolate milkshakes. Tea was enjoying her meal well enough; however, Yami didn't seem to have much of an appetite. (A.N. And after thousands of years inside a puzzle, you'd think he'd be famished!)

"What's wrong Yami?" Tea asked. "You don't like burgers and fries?"

"I neither like nor dislike them," Yami replied. "I'm simply not accustomed to eating fast food. There are many things about this century that I'm still learning to adapt to."

"Yeah… I guess the world has changed quite a bit since the last time you were alive. I can't imagine how difficult that must be for you."

"No, it hasn't been easy at all, adjusting to a world that is so different from the one I grew up in…" He sighed. "Forgive me, Tea. I'm afraid I'm not very good at socialising."

"I understand, Yami. After all, you were stuck in the Millennium Puzzle for such a long time and you only ever really came out when it was time to duel."

"True," Yami said. "But I've always had problems interacting with others, particularly when it comes to… members of the opposite sex."

"Oh…" Tea thought for a moment on how she was going to word her next question. "That reminds me, Yami. There's something I've always wondered about you."

"Yes?"

"Back in Ancient Egypt, did you, um, well… were you ever involved with anybody?"

"Sadly, no," Yami replied. "I was a very atypical pharaoh. I never did have a queen, or any kind of lover. My priests were insistent that I marry and continue the royal bloodline. There were plenty of suitors to be sure, but I could never bring myself to choose one."

"Because you don't know how to interact with women?"

"That, and I didn't like the idea of being forced into marriage."

"Well who would? I certainly wouldn't. If you're gonna marry, it should be for love."

"I agree. The only problem with that philosophy is that I never found love. Except…" He paused for a moment.

"Except what?" Tea asked.

"There was this one girl I felt a certain attraction to. She was a servant girl. Her name was Anzu. (A.N. That name sounds suspiciously familiar, doesn't it? Stop me before I plug again!) She was shy, but very kind and very beautiful—a lot like you, actually."

Tea blushed slightly. "Really?"

Yami felt a little embarrassed. "Well, _almost _like you. For one thing, she didn't have your blue eyes."

"Blue eyes weren't very common in Egypt, were they?"

"No, they weren't. In fact, blue eyes were often associated with evil spirits… Not that I'm accusing you of being an evil spirit, mind you."

"Oh, no, of course not. So, uh, whatever happened between you and this Anzu girl?" Tea said, trying to return to the original topic.

"Nothing. She never knew how I felt. She died before I ever got the chance to tell her."

"That's so sad."

"Well, I doubt it would have worked out anyway. She was a servant, I was a pharaoh. I would never have been allowed. My choice of potential mates was limited to those of noble birth. But within those boundaries I never found love. Thus, the royal bloodline met with a rather unceremonious end."

"I'm sorry… but you know, in some ways you're kind of lucky."

"How so?"

"You've been given a second chance at life, and therefore a second chance to find love."

Yami thought about that. "That's true…"

"And since you're not really a pharaoh anymore, there aren't any restrictions this time; you can be with whoever you want."

"Yes… you're right." Yami slowly reached over and placed his hand on top of Tea's. "I can be with… whoever I want."

Tea's blush intensified. "Are you sure you have problems interacting with women?" At that moment she found it hard to believe that he could possibly have such difficulties. But it was then that she noticed that his palm was a tad sweaty—just like hers.

Yami smiled. "I suppose I am trying to make more of an effort. But believe me Tea, I can be extremely awkward when it comes to matters of the heart."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I can be somewhat awkward too."

"In that case, why don't we both be awkward—together."

Tea smiled back. "That sounds like a great idea to me!"

With that, Yami took a bite out of his burger. "You know what… this stuff isn't actually that bad!"

****

TO BE CONTINUED

So how was this chapter? Good? Bad? Be sure to let me know!


	7. Chapter 7

Union through Separation

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

After finishing lunch, Yami and Tea decided to take in the sights of the city. They checked out the park, the music stores, and, of course, the game stores. Since both of them were new at this, they pretty much muddled through the day without any specific plan. Nevertheless, they were happy to share each other's company and enjoyed being 'awkward together'.

As the day grew later, Yami eventually escorted Tea to her home. He led her straight up to the front porch.

"Well, I had a very nice time today," Yami said.

"Yeah, me too," said Tea.

"Maybe we could… do it again sometime?"

"Oh, absolutely! For sure."

"Although perhaps we might want to plan it out more in advance."

"Yeah… that would probably be better."

"Indeed…"

"Hey, maybe we could even make it a double date?"

"I suppose we could… Why? Do you know any other couples?"

"Actually… none come to mind. How about you?"

"Me? What do you think?"

"You're right. You probably can't think of anyone either. Anyway, thank you again for hanging out with me."

"You're very welcome." Yami paused for a moment, then did something quite unexpected for both of them. He leaned forward and planted a kiss right on her forehead. Tea blushed like she never blushed before. For although the kiss only lasted a second or two, in Tea's mind (as well as Yami's), an eternity went by. For a brief moment, she could have sworn she felt her forehead tingle.

Yami stepped back, as if surprised over what he had just done. He looked like he was about to say something, but instead he started off for home.

Tea could relate, for she was somewhat speechless herself as she placed her hand over the area where Yami had just kissed her. It still felt slightly warm. Although the forehead was not a common spot to kiss a girl goodnight, at the moment Tea couldn't care less.

She had received her first kiss, and it came from Yami; that was all that mattered to her.

For now.

* * *

When Yami returned home, he found that Yugi had been waiting for him, undoubtedly eager to find out whether or not his little scheme had worked.

"Hey Yami!" Yugi greeted. "So how was your day?"

The Pharaoh glared at him. "I know what you did Yugi," he said in a low and slightly ominous voice.

"Why, what ever do you mean?" Yugi said, trying to sound innocent.

"You arranged to bring Tea and I together, after I told you to stay out of my… personal business."

"Hey, I never told her anything about how you felt," said the spiky haired boy defensively. "I just… pointed you both in the right direction."

Indeed. Yami mentally grinned. He had to appreciate Yugi's ingenuity, being able to pull this off without actually breaking his promise. "Your motives were noble Yugi, but from now on, no more meddling in my affairs, okay?"

"Okay, okay, I promise. So… did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes, I suppose I did."

"You suppose?"

"Well, since I had no idea I would be going on a date today, I was a little ill-prepared. But… yes, I did enjoy myself today, Yugi, and there's a good chance that Tea and I will be seeing each other again."

Yugi smiled. "Glad to hear it! I just knew things would work out and I'm sure that in no time at all you and Tea will be a couple."

Yes, I'm sure we will be, Yami thought to himself. _But the question is what kind of a couple?_

_

* * *

_

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Yami, a figure with white hair, brown eyes, and a gold ring around his neck had been secretly watching him all day. Now he was quietly observing his house. _So the Pharaoh has his own body now? Interesting._

TO BE CONTINUED

So how was that one? Sorry if I seemed a little late getting it out, but I've been busy with a number of things, including my birthday. Any guesses as to whom the mystery figure might be? Let's see… white hair, brown eyes, gold ring… jeez, it could be anybody!

Please R&R!


	8. Chapter 8

Union through Separation

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

"He kissed you?"

Mai Valentine was over visiting Tea. When Tea mentioned her first date with Yami, Mai was naturally curious and insisted on being told the whole story.

"Yes, he did," Tea confirmed. "It was only on the forehead though." Instinctively she placed her hand over said area. "Nothing major I guess, but still…"

"Don't worry girlfriend," Mai continued. "It won't be long before you and Yami are locking lips, tongue-wrestling, and steaming up windshields if you know what I mean!"

Tea blushed; she did know. "I think we're a ways away from reaching _that_ stage, Mai!"

"Oh, it's only a matter of time. You'll see." Mai put her arm around Tea's shoulders. "You and I, we're what's known as God's gift to guys. We are so gorgeous that men can't help but fall in love with us." She paused for a moment, and her expression became more serious. "…And sometimes we can't help but fall in love with them."

Tea looked at Mai with a puzzled expression. "Say what?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. I was just… thinking out loud."

"Mai, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Who me?"

"Mai…"

She sighed. "Well if you must know, you're not the only person whose recently become involved with someone."

Tea was intrigued. "Really? No kidding! Who is it? Is it someone I know?"

"Maybe..."

"Well who?"

"Sorry. Can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"We wanted to keep it a secret for the time being."

"Oh, come on! You _have _to tell me. After all, I told you about Yami. I didn't feel like it, but you insisted. It wouldn't be fair for you to withhold."

Mai couldn't argue with that. "Oh what the hey! You're right, no secrets between gal pals. But promise me you won't tell anyone, okay?"

"Okay, I promise."

So Mai whispered the name of her new boyfriend into Tea's ear. Almost instantaneously, Tea's eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

"No way! You and J—"

"Shhh! Not so loud!"

"Mai, we're the only ones here right now. My parents aren't home."

"Oh yeah, that's right. Say, where are your parents anyway?"

"I'm not really sure. They're always somewhere else. Sometimes it feels like they don't even exist." (A.N. No kidding!) She returned to the original topic. "So how long have the two of you been seeing each other?"

"Only a couple of weeks. We thought we'd wait until the right moment to tell the rest of you guys." Mai folded her arms. "So until then, I expect you to keep quiet on this. Understand?"

"Yes, yes. I understand. You don't have to worry. I won't be trying anything sneaky behind your back like Yugi did."

"Good." Mai's expression became lighter again. "But enough about _my _love life! Right now we need to focus on making sure that you reach the same level with Yami as I have with 'You-Know-Who'."

"Well like I told you before, it may be a while before we get that far," Tea said. "For one thing, Yami and I still need to get over our awkwardness."

"Oh is that all? That shouldn't be a problem. It sounds to me like all you really need is a more romantic setting. You know, somewhere that's a little more appropriate for a second date." Mai winked. "And it just so happens that I've become something of an expert in the field of planning dates."

"Um, okay…" At the moment, Tea wasn't certain if she should feel glad that Mai was offering to help her, or that she should run in terror.

TO BE CONTINUED

A bit short, and a bit lame, I know. But I'm suffering from a wee case of writer's block (or 'writer's procrastination', as it is more accurately known). Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.


	9. Chapter 9

Union through Separation

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

And so it came to be that, through Mai Valentine's invaluable assistance (as she preferred to call it), Tea and Yami found themselves scheduled for a second date. They would be having dinner that Friday night, at a fine restaurant that Mai herself had suggested. Now came the task of Tea finding herself something appropriate to wear for this upcoming date. Once again, Mai was there to assist.

The two gals went out dress shopping. However, it soon became clear that they had a difference in opinion as to what qualified as good fashion.

"Sorry Mai, but I don't think I care for this dress either."

Tea came out of the dressing room wearing a black spaghetti string dress.

Mai sighed. "What's wrong with _this _one?" she asked. "It looks fabulous on you!"

"A little too fabulous. I'm not so sure I want to be showing off so much of my shoulders."

"Oh for crying out loud!" Mai complained. "I've tried to meet you halfway on this Tea, but so far you've managed to find something wrong with every dress you've tried on. You didn't like the red one because it showed off too much of your legs, you didn't like the purple one because it showed off too much of your back, and you didn't like the blue one because… what was wrong with the blue one again?"

"I told you, it showed too much of my chest," Tea explained. "I'm not going to a fancy restaurant looking like a whore!"

"You don't look like a whore! These duds are far too classy for whores."

"No, but they are a tad on the sexy side."

"That's the whole point! You have a great body, Tea—almost as great as mine. But you don't show it off as often as you should."

"I'm just not certain how Yami would react if he saw me show up in something sexy."

"What, you're afraid Yami's going to think you're trying to seduce him?"

"Well, maybe…"

"Come on! This is Yami we're talking about! I think he knows you just a little bit better than that. You're about as decent a woman as they come Tea, and that's probably why he's so attracted to you."

Tea thought about that for a moment. "I suppose you're right."

"You're damn right I'm right."

Tea took another look at herself in the mirror. "Still, I wonder what Yami would think if he saw me in something like this."

"He'd probably think he's the luckiest guy on the planet. Of course, the _real _luckiest guy on the planet is the one I'm dating. But any man whose dating you would be a close runner-up."

Tea smiled. Thanks Mai… I think."

* * *

That night as Tea walked home, she started to think about her upcoming Friday night with Yami. Would it be the most magical night of her life, or would it be unbelievably awkward? She didn't know. But of one thing she was certain: she was going to try her very best to enjoy the evening, regardless of how it ultimately turned out.

And since she was going to be with Yami, she didn't imagine that was going to be very difficult.

Just then, Tea heard a sound that no female wants to hear while alone at night—the sound of someone following you.

Tea quickly turned around, but could see no one behind her. Nervous, she resumed walking home. A few minutes later, she heard the sound of footsteps again.

"Alright," Tea said with a slight quiver in her voice, "I know somebody's following me. Come out right now!"

"As you wish, Tea."

From out of the shadows stepped a white-haired chap with a sinister grin and a gold ring hanging from his neck. It didn't take Tea very long to figure out who it was. (A.N. And I can't imagine it taking you guys a great deal of time either.)

"Bakura!"

"Who were you expecting—Maxamillion Pegasus?"

Just as Yugi's Millennium Puzzle once contained Yami's essence the Millennium Ring also housed a powerful spirit. But unlike Yami, the spirit of the Ring was maliciously evil and constantly repressed Bakura's personality. What the spirit's true name was (if he even had one) nobody knew for certain. Some referred to him as 'Yami Bakura', although the Pharaoh did not appreciate having his name prefixed to one so evil.

"What do you want, Bakura?" Tea asked, trying not to sound nervous but not doing a particularly good job.

"It's recently come to my attention that the Pharaoh has acquired his old body. I was wondering just how attached he is to it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well let's just say that I wouldn't mind having his body for myself, along with all of its boundless powers."

"Sorry Bakura, but I don't think Yami would be willing to part with it."

Bakura smiled an evil smile. "Oh, I think he will, especially when he learns what I have to trade for it."

Tea wasn't sure she liked where this was going. "T-trade?"

"Yes, I do imagine that Yami would give up anything just to get his beloved's soul back… FROM THE SHADOW REALM!"

Tea recoiled in terror; now she was certain she didn't like where this was going. She tried to turn and run, but Bakura had already fired a dark energy beam from his head hurtling straight towards hers…

TO BE CONTINUED

Mwa, ha, ha! Boy, can I leave you hanging or what! Please R&R!


	10. Chapter 10

Union through Separation

Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

At the Mutou residence, Yami was in his room with Yugi contemplating his upcoming Friday night date with Tea. His hope was that it would turn out to be a wonderful night for both of them and not a total disaster. Despite all of his talents and skills, Yami still was something of a rank amateur when it came to matters of the heart. Nevertheless, he knew that he cared about Tea deeply and was determined to find a way of making this relationship work.

"So do you really think Tea will like the suit we picked out?" Yami asked Yugi. Keeping up with modern day fashion was also not the Pharaoh's forte.

"For the last time, yes!" Yugi assured him. "It looked great on you and I'm sure Tea will think so as well. Besides, it's not the outfit that really matters on a date—it's the person wearing it that's important, right?"

"Yes Yugi, you are correct. I'm just a little nervous about this date; it's not an emotion I'm used to experiencing."

"Oh, you'll be fiiiiiiine! Trust me!"

"I hope so, Yugi. I—"

But before Yami could continue, he was cut off in mid-sentence by a sudden rush of pain in his mind. So intense it was that he found himself cringing and groaning. Yet the pain was not his. It seemed to be coming from elsewhere, as if he were sensing someone else's agony. Just then, an image flashed before his eyes. It was fleeting, but long enough for Yami to interpret it: a young woman with short brown hair lying in the middle of the street, pale and unconscious.

"No!" Yami cried.

"Yami, what's wrong?" asked Yugi worriedly. It was then that he noticed the Egyptian eye symbol glowing on Yami's forehead. (A.N. What's that eye called again? I can never remember.)

"It's Tea!" Yami groaned. "She's in trouble! I can feel it!"

"What?"

" I have to help her!" He ran from the room.

"Yami, wait!" But it was too late. Yami was already down the stairs and out the door.

* * *

I must find her! I must find her!

Yami raced down the streets as fast as his two legs could carry him. Although he had no idea of where exactly Tea was, he somehow knew that he was going in the right direction. It was as if he were being guided by some unknown senses that he had—senses that right now were telling him that the woman he cared about was in serious pain.

I must find her! I must find her!

The pain in Yami's mind continued to grow stronger. Yet the Pharaoh continued to run, refusing to slow down no matter how exhausted he felt; he was a man who would not let anything stop him.

I must find her! I must _find her!_

At last, upon turning a corner, Yami came across someone lying in the street. Breathing heavily with exhaustion, he went in for a closer look. His fears were unfortunately realised when he saw that it was indeed Tea, unconscious and pale, just like in the vision. His heart nearly froze up.

"Tea! Oh, please no!"

Immediately Yami checked her pulse. He breathed a slight sigh of relief when he found that she still had one, but he noticed her body felt unusually cold.

He started to shake her gently in an attempt to wake her up. "Tea? Tea, can you hear me?"

No response.

Yami was becoming worried. "Tea, please! Wake up!"

He shook her even harder. Finally, Tea snapped out of it with a huge gasp. "Stay away!" she screamed. "Stay away! Please stop hurting me!" She began hyperventilating.

"Tea! Tea, it's all right! It's me! It's Yami! I'm not going to hurt you!"

Tea stopped hyperventilating for a second and actually looked at him. "Y-Yami?"

"Yes Tea, it's me," Yami said softly. "What happened?"

"He… he attacked me. He t-tried to… send my, my mind into the Shadow Realm. H-he…" The next few words out of Tea's mouth were somewhat unintelligible, as she started breathing heavily again. Her whole body was trembling, and in her eyes, Yami saw terror unlike any he'd seen before. Whatever had happened to her, it had obviously been a very traumatic experience.

"He what?" Yami asked hastily. "Who did this to you, Tea?"

"B… B... Bakura…"

And with that, Tea passed out again.

"Tea!" Yami quickly caught her in his arms. Tea had been weakened severely; she needed help fast. Yami saw that clearly. Quickly yet gently he picked her up in his arms and set off to find her the help that she needed.

He would deal with Bakura later.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ha, ha! The suspense grows! Ain't I a stinker? R&R!


	11. Chapter 11

Union through Separation

Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

Tea opened her eyes, and as the world around her gradually came into focus, the first thing she saw was Yami staring right back at her.

"You're awake! Oh thank Ra! I was starting to worry."

"Yami?" Tea found that she was lying in a bed with Yami sitting in a chair by the side. Quickly sitting up, the sheets rolled off her and she also found that her shirt was missing (though she was still wearing her bra)! Blushing intensely, Tea pulled the sheets back up over her. Yami also blushed.

"I, uh… I imagine you must have a lot of questions right now," Yami stammered.

"Yeah… you could say that," Tea replied.

"Well then, where do I begin… You're in a guestroom at Ishizu's place. I brought you here because you were deathly ill when I found you and I needed Ishizu's help in curing you before it was too late."

"Sick? What was I sick with?"

"The Breath of Shadow." Ishizu stepped out from the doorway where she was standing. "It's a rare disease that sometimes affects people who've been exposed to Shadow Realm powers. I was able to show the Pharaoh how to cure you. The hands of the Pharaoh are the hands of a healer."

"…And the reason I'm not wearing my shirt?" Tea asked.

Yami appeared embarrassed, and uncertain as to how to respond. "The sickness had already made its way to your heart. In order for me to cure you…" he faltered for a moment, "my hands needed to be placed on top of the area where your heart is located."

Tea went completely red. "I see…"

"It was the only way to save you," Ishizu explained. "Yami needed to act fast or you would have been lost to us."

"Well, um, now that I'm okay, do you think I could have my shirt back?"

"Oh, yes, of course," Yami said, and he passed to Tea her shirt. She quickly put it on.

"Perhaps I should leave you two alone," Ishizu said, sensing the tension. And with that, she left.

Yami felt truly embarrassed. "Tea I swear, nothing else happened. I would never—"

"I believe you, Yami, I believe you. I know you wouldn't try anything like that. And by the way, thank you for saving me. I know it probably wasn't a comfortable thing for you to do, putting your hands on… that location."

"Indeed. Well, now that I've answered your questions, perhaps you could answer some of mine. Before you passed out, you mentioned that Bakura attacked you."

It suddenly all came back to Tea like the memory of a bad dream. "…Yes. I was on my way home when Bakura confronted me. He knows that you have your own body now, and he said he wanted to have it for himself."

Yami appeared disturbed by this information. "Go on."

"He said he was going to use me as a bargaining chip—my soul in exchange for your body. I tried to run, but the next thing I knew he was challenging me to a Shadow Game in my mind. I lost." Tea paused for a moment before continuing. "He then tried to send my mind into the Shadow Realm, but…"

"But what?"

"But something stopped him. I'm not sure what happened—hell, there's still a lot about the Shadow Realm I don't understand—but for some reason, Bakura was having trouble sending me there. He seemed just as confused about it as me. However, he didn't just give up. He kept on trying. He desperately fought against whatever it was that was stopping him. It…"

"Yes?"

So terrible were the memories that Tea found it difficult to describe. "…It really hurt. I mean, it felt like my brain was being ripped to shreds. I thought I was going to die. I screamed at Bakura to stop, but he wouldn't listen. It… it was the most horrible experience of my life!"

Realising that Tea was clearly upset, Yami placed his hand over hers, hoping that alleviate things. "It's alright Tea. You're safe now. Then what happened?"

"Well, after about a minute or so of this, there was some sort of blinding flash. The next thing I know, Bakura's gone and I'm feeling like my body's turning to ice. Then… I don't know, I think I fainted. What happened, Yami? Why couldn't Bakura send me to the Shadow Realm?"

"I don't know," Yami replied. "There are very few things that can prevent a person from being banished to the Shadow Realm. This is most peculiar. I'll have to discuss it with Ishizu. And we'll definitely need to keep an eye out for Bakura."

"This isn't going to affect our plans for Friday, is it?"

Yami thought about that. "With Bakura on the loose, I'm not sure if going out would be safe."

"Oh." Tea looked disappointed.

"…On the other hand, I suppose it might be worth the risk."

Tea smiled. "Good. By the way, what time is it?"

Yami looked at his watch. "About quarter after three."

"A.M.? Whoa, it's late! I should get home." Tea tried to stand up but felt dizzy. "Woo, on second thought…"

"Easy Tea," Yami said, helping her lie back down. "You're still a little weak from your recovery. You might as well stay here for the rest of the night."

"I guess I could do that, as long as you promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"That you'll stay here with me, of course."

Yami smiled. "I was going to do that anyway."

And so, with the knowledge that Yami was watching over her, it didn't take long for Tea drift off into sleep. Lightly brushing a few strands of hair out of her face, Yami couldn't help but notice how peaceful and beautiful Tea looked while sleeping. In his mind, she was like an angel.

Sleep well… my Angel of the Nile.

TO BE CONTINUED

Please R&R! Oh, and a special thanks to The Insane Sisters for informing me that it was the Eye of Horus. Much appreciated!


	12. Chapter 12

Union through Separation

Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

All of Yami and Yugi's pals were told about what happened to Tea and that they should be on the lookout for Bakura. And yet keeping an eye out for Bakura appeared to be unnecessary, as there was no sign of him anywhere. He wasn't at his home and nobody seemed to know where he was. As far as anyone could tell, he'd completely dropped out of sight. Although Joey and Tristen considered Bakura not being around to be a good thing, Yami felt far more uneasy about it. He was certain that a confrontation between him and the evil spirit of the Millennium Ring was inevitable.

* * *

The week went by very quickly and it wasn't long before it was Friday night—the night of Yami and Tea's date. Since neither of them owned a car or even knew how to drive, they needed someone else to drop them off. Fortunately, Mai also had a date that night and thus was able to give them a lift. Tea was the first to be picked up and as they headed to get Yami, Tea began to feel a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. 

"So… tonight's the big night," Mai said. "Are you all set?"

"I guess so," Tea replied in a less than confident-sounding voice.

"You sound about as enthusiastic as Kaiba would if he got an invitation to Yugi's birthday party. Come on! Just wait until Yami sees how gorgeous you look."

"Uh, yeah." Tea pulled her coat up over her bare shoulders. _Sometimes I wish I had more of Mai's confidence, _she thought to herself. Looking over, she couldn't help but notice Mai's rather 'suggestive' outfit. _Well, maybe not _that _much courage. _"Say, is that a new outfit?"

"What, this old thing? I've had it for years." (A.N. Careful Mai! The last time Reed Richards said that, Ben Grim left the Fantastic Four! XD) "Now Tea, you know that I won't be able to give you two a ride back home."

"Why not?"

"Let's just say that after my date I'm probably going to be very busy all night."

"Busy doing what?" Tea asked before quickly adding, "On second thought, I don't want to know!" _The last thing I need right now is that image in my head!_

They at last pulled up in front of the Mutou residence. There was Yami waiting for them, wearing a black suit and looking very handsome indeed.

Tea stepped out to greet him. "H-hi Yami."

"Hello Tea," Yami replied. "You… look very beautiful."

"Th-thanks."

"New dress?"

"Yep. New suit?"

"Of course."

"What am I saying? It _would _have to be new."

"We both chose black outfits. What a coincidence."

"Yeah I guess great minds think alike, huh?"

"Indeed."

"Yeah…"

At that moment, Mai beeped the car horn, startling them both. "If you two are quite done, we should be on our way. I have a date too remember and Jo—that is—my boyfriend isn't going to wait around forever you know!"

"Sorry," Yami and Tea said simultaneously. They looked at each other with surprise. _Wow, great minds really do think alike, _Tea thought.

* * *

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to our heroes, someone in the shadows was watching them. _Enjoy your date Pharaoh, for it will be the last one you ever go on._

* * *

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the figure in the shadows, someone was watching him. _I don't know what you're up to, but I won't let you get away with it._

TO BE CONTINUED

I'm really sorry that this chapter is so short, but I've been at a loss for ideas. Also, I've been very busy with Christmas coming up. Speaking of which, I'd like to wish you all safe and happy holidays! May you get more than just socks and underwear this year!

P.S. Really, _really _sorry!


	13. Chapter 13

Union through Separation

Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

Finally Yami and Tea arrived at the restaurant and it was a very fine restaurant indeed. They were worried about whether or not they would actually be able to get in without a reservation, but as it turned out Mai had already taken the liberty. Apparently she held a great deal of influence at this establishment, as well as others.

The food was particularly good (as well as being offered at a slightly lowered price, again the work of one influential blonde), however much of the evening was spent talking. Tea wanted to know as much as she could about Yami, who was still something of an enigma to her. And there was still much of the Pharaoh's past that he couldn't remember so he mostly talked about the present—how he was finally starting to adjust to life in modern times, and how through the internet he'd been introduced to the imaginative world of fanfiction.

"Fanfiction?" Tea said with surprise. "I had no idea you were interested in that sort of thing."

"It is an interesting concept," Yami said. "Although there are several aspects about it that don't quite make sense to me. For instance, how can the same character be a knight in one story, a vampire in another, and neither in the original series?"

"Well, you know, some people like to use a little creative licence and have their own take on the characters," Tea explained.

"Yes, but they change them so much that in the end all that remains of the original characters is their names. At which point, it just seems like they ought to write an original tale. If you're going to use established characters, you should stick to their proper traits and only make minute changes."

"Yeah, I do agree with you there, even though I've never attempted to write a fanfic before. Creative writing isn't exactly my forte."

"I've thought about giving it a try, although I have no idea what show to write about. It wouldn't be Pokemon, that's for sure."

"What? You don't like Pokemon?"

"It's a fine enough show, but that Brock… There's something about his voice that seems disturbingly familiar. I can't quite put my finger on it though."

"Well how about InuYasha?"

"Too violent."

"Beyblade?"

"Not violent enough."

"Gundam?"

"Which one?"

"What about—oh damn, I forgot the name. 'Yu'-something, I think."

"Yu Yu Hakusho?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Never seen it."

"How about Duel Masters? It bears an uncanny resemblance to the name of another game that you're familiar with."

"True… but who in their right mind would want to read fanfiction based on a show that revolves around a card game?"

"Good point."

Yami took a sip of his drink. "But enough about me, Tea. I would very much like to hear something about your life. How goes the pursuit of your dream?"

"My dream?"

"Yes, your dream to become a dancer. Unless you have some other dream that I don't know about."

"Oh, of course! Well, actually, it just so happens that I've recently been offered a scholarship to one of the best dance academies in New York."

"Tea, that's wonderful!"

A sad look came over Tea's face. "I guess…"

"What do you mean you guess? Tea, this is what you've wanted your whole life, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah… but it would mean going away to New York for a long time. I'd have to leave behind my friends, all the people… that I love."

Realisation dawned on Yami. "I see… Look Tea, I don't think that any of us would want to hold you back from achieving your dream. We would all miss you of course—some of us maybe more so than others—but in the end, we would be happy knowing that you're doing something that you enjoy. Do you know what I mean?"

Tea did know. "But you realise that I could be years before I return."

"And your point being? I happen to know for a fact that there's a least one person in this world who would wait decades to see your face again and wouldn't consider the time wasted."

Tea blushed. "This person wouldn't by any chance have spiky hair, and an annoying habit of thinking that he's a loser when it comes to women when he's clearly not?"

Yami smiled. "He does have spiky hair."

TO BE CONTINUED

Please R&R!


	14. Chapter 14

Union through Separation

Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

Once dinner was over, there was of course the question of where to go and what to do next. Yami, being new to the whole dating experience, had no idea. It was Tea who finally came up with the plan. A quiet, private spot where they could wind down the evening just talking seemed appropriate and Tea knew of just the place.

Tea led Yami into an old and somewhat dilapidated building. It looked as though it hadn't been used in quite sometime. Yami thought it was a rather unusual choice in local for the end of their date.

"This seems like a rather unusual choice in local for the end of our date, Tea," Yami said. (A.N. Didn't I just say that?) "What exactly is this place anyway?"

"This used to be a dance theatre," answered Tea. "But it was closed down a long time ago. I found it when I was only nine and I've been coming here ever since."

"To do what?"

"To think about things, stuff that's going on in my life. It was here that I first decided that I wanted to be a professional dancer."

"Does anyone else know about this place?"

Tea shook her head. "Nope. I've never told anyone. Not my parents, not Joey, not Tristen, not even Yugi, and I've known him longer than the others. It's my own secret, special place—you know, somewhere that I can just get away from it all and be myself."

"Then why are you showing it to me?" Yami wondered. "Why would you reveal to me something so personal?"

"Well I figured that if you and I are going to be… in a relationship, then there shouldn't be any secrets between us, if you follow."

Yami did follow, although he couldn't help but notice Tea's use of the word 'if'. He wondered if she was actually giving some serious thought to the idea of accepting the dance scholarship in New York. He hoped so. Despite how much he hated the idea of Tea leaving, the last thing Yami wanted was for her to give up her dreams over him. He could never live with that.

Then again, Yami thought, _There might be a way for us both to get what we want._

Yami thought, 

"Yami?"

Tea had broken his train of thoughts. "Hmm?"

"I was wondering…"

"Yes?"

"…Do pharaohs swing?"

Yami didn't understand. "I don't understand." (A.N. Stop repeating me, you, you refugee from the troll doll craze!)

"Can you dance?"

"Me? No, not really."

Tea smiled. "In that case, I'll have to teach you." She began to take him by the hand.

"You mean now? Here?"

"Well what better place than a dance theatre?"

"But it's so dilapidated."

"Hey, watch it! That's my special place you're talking about!"

"I was just wondering if it's safe."

"I've danced in here before." She tugged at his arm. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"I don't know…"

"Come on!"

"I'm not a big dancing person."

"Don't tell me a great pharaoh like you is afraid?"

"Of course not!"

"Then let's do it!"

Again, Tea tugged at Yami. Only this time she tugged a little too hard, for she ended up falling backwards, taking Yami with her. She hit the ground with a thump and the Pharaoh landed right on top of her.

Tea groaned. "Well that was smart of me!"

"Are you okay?" Yami asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tea replied, looking up at him.

"I should probably get off of you now." But it was then that his eyes met with hers. Their gazes locked, Yami found himself instinctively—and uncontrollably—moving his face closer to Tea's.

And closer…

And closer, until…

It was an amateur kiss to be sure—not overtly passionate. Nevertheless, it was still filled with the warmth and tenderness that can only come from a kiss of true love. Though he would never find the words to describe the sensation, Yami knew that he would never forget the way it felt.

Yami broke the kiss. He could see the surprised look on Tea's face, as well as her extremely flustered cheeks. It was a sentiment he shared in kind.

"Tea, I…"

"Yami… why did you stop?"

Before Yami could respond, Tea suddenly pulled his head back down and reciprocated with a kiss of her own. This one was far more passionate than the last, her arms wrapping around his shoulders in order to pull him in closer. In response, Yami wrapped his arms around her waist, tightening the embrace to the point where it could have caused her physical pain.

Of course, any physical discomfort Tea may have been experiencing was clearly dulled by the immense joy of what was clearly becoming a make-out session. She moaned with pleasure, arousing Yami in ways he'd never felt before. He deepened the kiss and began moving his hands across her body in a gentle caress. This inspired further moans.

Yet in the back of his head, Yami thought that he should stop before it went too far. Their relationship was still in its infancy, and this was neither the time nor the place for carnal pleasures.

We really need to stop this now. But it was easier said—or in this case, thought—than done. The warmth of their love had become a blazing inferno, and he didn't know how or if he could stop it.

His hand moved up to the right shoulder strap of her dress. Slowly, and gently, he began sliding it off…

"Mm, Yami…"

TO BE CONTINUED

Well I hope this tides you all over for a while. This chapter was much more erotic than I had originally planned, but then my stories seldom turn out exactly as expected. They evolve as I go along. Please R&R!


	15. Chapter 15

Union through Separation

Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

For so long, Tea had dreamt of a moment just like this one: to be in a passionate embrace with Yami. And now it was actually happening. They say that sometimes having a thing is not so great as wanting, but that was certainly not the case here. The kisses, the caresses, were far greater than Tea could have imagined.

"Mm, Yami…"

As she felt Yami slowly and gently sliding off the right shoulder strap of her dress, Tea began to realise the direction this was taking. Part of her was frightened by this thought. After all, it was only their first date (well, second date if you count that whole set up thing that Yugi did). Surely they were moving too fast. And yet there was another part that wasn't afraid and in fact welcomed it with growing anticipation.

"Yami…"

It was then that Yami, with a certain degree of reluctance, broke the kiss and backed away a bit. "No… This isn't right," he said.

Tea looked at him confused. "What is it?"

"It's too soon for this. We're only just starting to become comfortable expressing our feelings for each other, but this is perhaps too comfortable."

"Yeah, you're right…" The more rational part of Tea's brain won out and now she was relieved that they managed to stop.

"Forgive me, Tea. I should have restrained myself more."

Tea sat up, sliding her shoulder strap back on. "It's not your fault, Yami. I wasn't exactly discouraging you."

"That's still no excuse." The Pharaoh reached over, brushing a few strands of hair out of Tea's face. "You're very special to me. The last thing I want is to… violate your honour in a moment of uncontrolled lust."

"Oh, Yami." Tea wrapped her arms around his shoulders again. "You're very special to me too. There is no one else on this planet that I would rather have 'violate my honour' than you."

Yami looked surprised. "Are you serious?"

Tea nodded. "But you're right of course. This isn't the time for that." She looked around. "And it definitely isn't the place. No way am I losing my virginity in an old abandoned theatre."

"I thought you said this was your special place?"

"Yeah, for contemplation, not consummation!"

"Sorry, it's just that you didn't like it too much when I called this place dilapidated."

"I say a lot of crazy things when I'm on a date."

"Really? I was under the impression that you've never dated before."

"That's not the point."

"What is the point?"

"Well… I'm not sure. Jeez this is crazy. I feel like we're in a bad story where the author is trying to fill up space with a lot of useless dialogue." (A.N. Hey! Watch it Tea, or I'll write you into a lesbian of the worst sort!)

"So what were we talking about again?"

"We were talking about our relationship."

"Of course. I think, Tea, that we need to slow down a little before we even begin to think about…"

"I agree. But I hope we're not going to slow down _too _much."

Yami smiled. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Tea nuzzled her head under Yami's neck and happily sighed. It may not have been as passionate as before, but it still felt good. It felt romantic.

It felt perfect.

"Hello there. I hope I'm not interrupting anything. Oh, who am I kidding? Of course I hope!"

Startled by the voice, Yami and Tea turned around, only to find that there special little moment had been disturbed by the unexpected and unwelcome arrival of a most unpleasant individual.

"Bakura!" Yami exclaimed.

"You were expecting maybe Marik Ishtar?"

"What do you want?" Yami demanded.

"Oh a little song, a little dance, a sexy woman to take off my pants." He gave a sly glance at Tea. "But for the moment, Pharaoh, I'll settle for taking away your body and all of its powers."

"Oh yeah?" Tea said. "You and what army?"

"Bakura grinned an evil grin. "Funny you should ask…"

TO BE CONTINUED

Ah, my evil cliffhangers and me! In response to some of your reviews, this chapter, as you can clearly see, is not a lemon. However, I have been contemplating the idea of doing a lemon chapter at the end. Since doesn't seem to approve of lemons anymore, it would probably have to be a bonus chapter that you would e-mail me for and I would send to you.

Anyhoo, we're not quite at that stage yet, and I hope that there's enough stuff going on to keep all of you entertained. R&R!


	16. Chapter 16

Union through Separation

Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

"Oh yeah?" Tea said. "You and what army?"

"Bakura grinned an evil grin. "Funny you should ask…"

Reaching into his pocket, Bakura pulled out a handful of cards—Duel Monster cards, naturally. He tossed them onto the ground. With a flash of the Millennium Ring, the cards came to life. Tea couldn't believe it. Man-eater Bug, Earl of Demise, Headless Knight, and all of those other scary buggers that Bakura usually kept in his deck, they were standing right there in the flesh… and looking none too friendly.

"You wanted an army," Bakura said, "well here it is! And we're going to make you our first P.O.W.'s!"

"Yami, how is this possible?" Tea asked with a hint of fear in her voice. "He doesn't have a duel disk."

"Clearly he's tapped into the powers of his Millennium Item," answered Yami, taking up a defensive posture in front of Tea.

"Here's the deal, Pharaoh," Bakura said. "My monsters will fight your monsters. If I win, I get your body and all of its powers. If you win, I will leave you and your 'female acquaintance' alone… for a while at least."

"I didn't bring my deck with me," Yami said.

Bakura smirked. "Well isn't that a shame. I guess that means you lose by default. Too bad for you… but not for me!"

Bakura snapped his fingers and his creepy crew began slowly advancing on Yami and Tea. Tea didn't like where this was going at all. Yami, however, remained relatively unafraid as he stood his ground, despite the fact that he seemed to be at a disadvantage.

"I may not have my deck on me, Yami stated, "but that doesn't mean I'm completely defenceless." The Eye of Horus glowed on Yami's forehead. A bright light enveloped his body and when it cleared, Yami's attire had changed. Instead of the black suit he'd been wearing for dinner, he was now dressed in the royal garb of an Egyptian pharaoh.

Tea was shocked. _He looks just like he did in my dream!_

Bakura laughed. "Nice duds. Do you honestly think that a change in wardrobe is going to save you?"

"No, this will!" And with that, Yami charged at the monsters and began fighting them barehanded. It was an impressive sight to behold indeed. The Pharaoh was performing amazing combat moves that would have put Keanu Reeves to shame. (A.N. Not only that, but his face was much more expressive!) Yet no matter how many times Yami knocked the beasts down, they always got back up again.

"How thoroughly amusing," Bakura said with a smirk. "But the only way to permanently defeat my Duel Monsters is with other Duel Monsters. Face it, you've lost, Pharaoh! Your body _will _be mine!"

Yami now bore an expression of concern as he looked over at Tea. "Get out of here, now! This isn't safe anymore!"

Tea didn't know what to do. As scared as the situation was making her, she knew she couldn't just desert Yami like this… could she? _What can I do to help anyway? I don't have any powers._

The monsters started to gang up on Yami, who was now showing signs of fatigue from all the fighting. Headless Knight prepared to deliver a finishing blow. It was all over for the Pharaoh. But then…

"Not so fast, Bakura!"

From seemingly out of nowhere, a powerful energy blast vaporised the Headless Knight, much to everyone's surprise.

"What?" Bakura turned to his right, as did everybody else. There was the Dark Magician, and standing next to him was Yugi Mutou who'd been trailing Bakura all night (A.N. but of course, you've probably figured that out by now).

"Hey Yami, I thought you might need some backup!" The young lad tossed to Yami his own deck of cards that' he'd been putting together ever since regaining his body.

"You couldn't have come at a better time," Yami said, impressed that his young friend had learned how to tap into the powers of the Millennium Puzzle so quickly. Reaching into the deck and pulling out a card, Yami summoned one of his favourite monsters into existence: the red Dark Magician, the one that Yugi had acquired during the Battle City tournament. (A.N. Although I don't recall if Yugi took the card that he'd rightfully won, I'm going to assume that he did.)

So now there were two Dark Magicians against the spooky servants of Bakura. However, the Tombrobber was not overtly concerned. He simply summoned more of his monsters. The battle now became even more intense. (A.N. I suck at describing fight scenes. And I also seem to have an affinity with plugging my stories full of author's notes!) In the end, the Dark Magicians found themselves being overwhelmed by superior numbers.

It was not going well for our heroes at all.

Tea hated this feeling of powerlessness even more. _If only there was someway I could help!_

"What are you still doing here?" Yami asked. "I told you to go!"

"No, no, Pharaoh," Bakura insisted. "Let her stay. I have 'plans' for her when this done."

Tea didn't like the sound of that. _What plans?_

"Leave her alone!" Yami demanded. "She hasn't done anything to you!"

"Oh it's not about what she's done to me. It's about what she's _going_ to do to me. You see, once I have your body and all the powers needed to rule this world, the first thing I'm going to do is make Tea part of my harem."

"Your harem?" Tea did not respond well to that at all.

"Oh yes. I also plan to include Mai, and Ishizu, and perhaps Serenity as well. She's a bit young, but her breasts are coming in quite nicely." Bakura chuckled. "What's wrong Tea? Would you rather have me all to yourself? Not willing to share?"

For Tea, this was the final straw. "_THAT'S IT!"_

Bakura's smugness was suddenly replaced by shock. Yami and Yugi bore similar expressions as well. Tea couldn't understand why because she couldn't see it.

The Eye of Horus had appeared on her forehead.

TO BE CONTINUED

Man, do I know where to end a chapter or what? Please R & R!


	17. Chapter 17

Union through Separation

Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

For Tea, this was the final straw. _"THAT'S IT!"_

At that moment, Yami was shocked to notice something glowing on Tea's forehead. Yugi and Bakura obviously noticed it as well. Tea, however, did not understand the reason behind their startled expressions because she couldn't see it.

The Eye of Horus had appeared on her forehead.

"Guys, what's wrong?" Tea asked. But before anyone could offer her an explanation, Tea's body was suddenly enveloped in a bright light. And when it cleared, she was dressed in the attire of an Egyptian Queen.

Yami was truly stunned, for Tea looked exactly the same as she did in the sketches Yami had drawn. _Could this possibly mean what I think it means? _Yami wondered.

Tea, of course, was equally confounded, if not more so. "What in the name of Witch Hunter Robin is going on here?"

"I don't know," said Bakura, who had regained his cool demeanour, "but it makes little difference to me. You're still going to lose!"

Bakura's monsters continued their vicious onslaught against the two Dark Magicians. However, just as things were starting to look their worst, a strange light started to emanate from Yami's Duel Monster deck. The light was coming from one of his cards. It floated out of the deck and into Tea's confused hands. She recognised right away which card it was:

The Dark Magician Girl.

(A.N. Big surprise, huh?)

Seemingly by instinct, Tea summoned the Dark Magician girl into existence. This gave Yami an idea. Looking over at Yugi, he saw his young comrade give a knowing nod, indicating that he was thinking the same thing as well. Simultaneously, they both sacrificed their Dark Magicians. And as any good Duellist should know, whenever a Dark Magician is sent to the graveyard, Dark Magician Girl's power is increased.

…Then again, there was no way to know for certain if this particular Shadow Game had anything equivalent to a graveyard. _I hope this works, _Yami mentally prayed.

It didn't take Tea long to figure out the strategy. At Tea's command, the Dark Magician Girl aimed her wand at Bakura's monsters and fired an intense blast of magical energy. Yami's plan had worked. Even though in a normal Duel Monsters game such a power boost would probably have been insufficient to destroy so many monsters, this was not a normal Duel Monsters game. Bakura's baddies were completely vaporised.

Our heroes had won. (A.N. Like you'd expect any other outcome?)

Bakura just stood there, gaping in disbelief. "It… it can't be!"

"Oh, but it can!" Tea said. "Yami, would you do the honour?"

The Pharaoh smiled. "It would be my pleasure."

Using his powers, Yami opened up a porthole into the Shadow Realm that began sucking the Tombrobber's spirit out of the Millennium Ring. The wicked spirit tried to resist of course, but the pull was just too strong for him.

"This isn't over Pharaoh!" The Tombrobber cried as the porthole consumed him. "You know that the Shadow Realm cannot contain me forever! I will be back! There _will _be a next time!"

"There always is," Yami muttered.

The porthole disappeared. So did the Dark Magician Girl. Yami and Tea both transformed back into their original clothing. Staggering, Tea lost her balance, but was caught by Yami. Evidently, the transformation was a bit too much for her to take.

Bakura was in a similar state of disorientation. With the evil spirit banished (at least for time being), he was now Ryou Bakura, the much friendlier Bakura personality.

"Are you okay?" Yugi asked.

"I'm not certain," Ryou replied. "I have this strange feeling that I've been behaving like some sort of malevolent pervert."

"It wasn't you," said Yugi.

Ryou noticed the Millennium Ring around his neck. "Oh no, you mean it was 'You-Know-Who'?"

"We call him the Tombrobber. This isn't J.K. Rowling."

Yami, meanwhile, was tending to Tea. "How are you?" he asked.

"I guess I'm okay," Tea said, "all things considering. What exactly just happened here."

"I'm not entirely certain," Yami admitted as he helped Tea back to her feet. "But I would say that you and I have quite a lot to discuss."

TO BE CONCLUDED

That's right, you read it correctly. There's only one chapter left. Well actually, there are _two _chapters left. One of them will be a special lemon chapter that will only be available through e-mail to those who ask for it.

Of course, I still have to _write _it. (_Sighs_) No rest for the creative.


	18. Chapter 18

Union through Separation

Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!… and maybe that's for the best.

While Yugi escorted Ryou home, Yami escorted Tea home. As predicted, Tea and Yami had quite a lot to discuss.

"So you see," Yami explained somewhat awkwardly, "when I kissed you on the forehead a while back, I think I may have accidentally transferred part of my powers over to you."

Tea felt her forehead. "Now that you mention it, my forehead did feel a bit tingly when you kissed it. But I figured it was just because it was my first kiss."

"Well it looks like there was more to it than just that."

"How do you think this happened?" Tea asked.

Yami blushed a bit. "This may sound a bit silly, but I think that a part of me… cared so much about you that I subconsciously gave you some of my powers so that you could take care of yourself even when I wasn't around."

"I don't think it sounds silly at all. In fact, I think it's cool and kind of romantic that you would do something like that for me, even if it was only subconscious." She smiled. "So this is why Bakura wasn't able to send me to the Shadow Realm before?"

"Yes. And this is also how you were able to perform that amazing transformation during the battle."

"Yeah, I sort of figured that one out on my own. So what happens now?"

"I'm not certain Tea. Since I have no idea how to remove my powers from you, I would say that from now on our lives are forever entangled."

"So what you're saying is," Tea took Yami by the hand, "we're kinda stuck with each other."

Yami nodded and smiled. "In a manner of speaking."

At last they arrived at Tea's house. Tea was about to go inside when she noticed that Yami had this expression on his face as if he wanted to say something else.

"Yami, you look as though you want to say something else," Tea said. (A.N. Hey! Are they doing that thing again where they repeat what I just wrote? I plug to the bitter end!)

Yami took a deep breath before beginning. "Tea… I want you to accept that scholarship from the dance academy."

Tea was surprised to hear that. "What?"

"I want you to—"

"I heard you the first time. Yami, I can't believe you would ask me to do that! I mean, we just finished talking about how are lives are connected now, and all of a sudden you want me to leave?"

"Of course our lives our connected, Tea. You didn't let me finish. You are going to move to New York… and I'm coming with you."

"You are?"

"Yes. I'm certain I can find some sort of employment in New York. The hard part will be figuring out how to break the news to Yugi."

Tea didn't know what to say. "I don't know what to say Yami." (A.N. She's doing it again! This is my last plug, I swear!) "You would really do this?"

"Of course I would, Tea. I want us to be together always because… because I love you."

Tea nearly burst into tears with joy. "Yami… I love you too."

With that, Tea and Yami, standing under the moonlight embraced each other and kissed. It was not an amateur kiss, nor an overtly passionate kiss. But it was a romantic kiss—the kind you would find in any big love scene from a film.

Tea didn't know what the future had in store for her. She had no idea what would come out of living with Yami in New York, or what sort of strange adventures might come from her having part of Yami's power. But at the moment, she couldn't care less.

She and Yami were going to stay together; that was all that mattered to her.

For now.

* * *

One month later…

"Where could he be?"

Yugi looked at his watch again. It was getting late and still Yami had not returned from his date with Tea. Yugi figured he probably shouldn't worry too much though. After all, with Yami moving to New York very shortly, he and Tea undoubtedly had a lot of things to talk about.

Yugi sighed. Although he was going to miss his friend Yami, he was happy that the Pharaoh was moving on and starting a life of his own, so to speak. _I shouldn't complain, _Yugi thought to himself. _After all, I'm the one who set them up in the first place!_

Eventually, Yugi decided to stop waiting and get some sleep. Later that night, he had a dream. In it, he could see the Dark Magician and the Dark Magician Girl. They looked at him smiling, and gave a slight bow, as if to say, "thank you".

At that moment, Yugi was awoken by the sound of his telephone ringing. He answered. "Hello?"

"Yugi?"

"Yami! Where are you?"

"I'm over at Tea's."

"I thought as much."

"I won't be able to make it back tonight. Tea's parents aren't home, and I've decided to… keep her company for a while."

"Oh, uh, okay." And with that, the conversation was over. Yugi was about to go back to sleep, when it suddenly dawned on him. The dream. Yami's cryptic remark. It all came together.

"Oh… oh, man! Ah jeez!" the spiky haired youth exclaimed. "Oh, great! How am I ever going to get back to sleep with _that _imagery in my head?"

But even though it was going to cost him some sleep, a part of Yugi remained happy for his friend.

THE END?

Well that's all she wrote, except for the bonus lemon chapter of course! I should have it finished and ready to e-mail sometime before the end of the week. In the meantime, be sure to place your orders within your reviews.

I remind you all that it is a lemon chapter, so don't like lemons or don't know what they are, don't ask for it.

Also, it's come to my attention that some of you think that, because I'm writing a lemon, I am female. Let me set the record straight once and for all: I am a man. I am _all _man. As for this whole idea that only women write lemons… well, that's just closed-mindedness.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it. I don't know when or if I'll write my next one. I sometimes take a long time to come out with anything, unlike those guys at Disney, who at any given moment are working on five or six different projects, even though you wish they weren't.

Toodles.

Dr. Vorlon


End file.
